Corset



(No Model.)

J. K. ROSS.

CORSET.

Patented Jan. 3,18 82.

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: e UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN K. ROSS, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

CORSET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 251,735, dated January 3, 11882. Application'filed August 9, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN K. Ross, a'citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Newark, county of Essex, and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Corsets, fully described and represented in the following specification and the accompanying drawings, forming a part of t e same.

My invention relates to an improvement in corsets; and it consists, first, in an improved stifiening-rib for bracing the corset; and, second, in a corset braced by my improved rib, in combination with flat bars of steel, bone, or similar hard substances.

The object of my invention is to brace the corset adequately without the employment of any great number of hard ribs or braces, and especially to substitute an elastic and yielding brace for harder materials in certain parts of the structure where great flexibility is desired. I have therefore devised a stiffening-rib formed of a combination of ta-mpico or grass cloth with cords, both being secured between two layers of corset fabric by stitching or any other suitable means.

In the drawings annexed, Figure 1 is a view of one-half of a corset provided with certain ribs constructed in such manner and employed in combination with steeland bone ribs to make a peculiarly firm yet flexible corset. Fig. 2 is a plan of one rib having the several layers exposed at one end to show their arrangement. Fig. 3 is an end view of the four layers of material constituting such rib, and Fig. 4 is a section of the rib shown in Fig. 2.

Ais a layer of corset fabric asjean or linen; B, a strip ol' gr'ass clothgofsgitable width to forfi'idhefiroposed srip or rib for stiffening a particular part of the corset. O is a series of cords, from three to seven in number, as desired, and shown in Figs. 2 to 4 as six in number; and D, another layer of corset fabric for covering the cords and binding them and the strip of grass cloth to the backing A.

The rib presents, when finished by stitching through the four layers beside and between the cords, a series of ridges upon the front side, and possesses in a remarkable degreethe qualities of firmness and tlexibilitycombined with a large amount of elasticity due to the wiry nature of the grass cloth. The ribdescribed resembles externally the plain cording often employed about corsets, the grass cloth being entire] y concealed between the fabrics A and D, and such ribs may obviously be constructed in any part of the corset by stitchingthe grass cloth and cords together between the body of the corset and strips D, arranged to cover the cords C and cloth B at suitable points. In

heavy corset or such as are formed of two layof the two in the precise manner I have do vised. I do not therefore claim the use of such materials for stiffening when used separately or in other combinations, but only as combined and applied to the corset in the manner herein shown and'described.

In Fig.1 are shown three ribs, at a a a, formed by my method, and as such ribs are not adapted to furnish all the stiffness desired in certain kinds of corsets, I use them combined with other ribs of more rigid character, as indicated at b. Such auxiliary ribs may be made of metal, whalebone, hard rubber, or other suitable material adapted to operate favorably with the compound ribs of cording and grass cloth, and be disposed in any part of the corset as required.

I am aware that tampico fibers have been used in the form of a bundle bound together to constitute separate ribs for application to the corset in a manner similar to that in which metallic ribs are applied; and it is not, therefore,the tampico fibers that I claim to use, as such are claimed in the form of bundles in Patent No. 234,757, issued in 18:0 to Warner and Tallman; but myinvenlion consists in utilizing the tampico-grass cloth already well known in trade, and requiring no treatment to fit it for use by my method, except the cutting of it into strips of the desired width.

The cord I employ may be made of cotton,

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jute, or other suitable fibers twisted in the usual way, a hard-laid cotton cord being the cheapest and best now known to me for use with the strips of grass cloth, as specified herein.

I therefore claim as my invention as follows:

1. A corset-stiffener constructed, as herein shown and described, of strips of woven grass cloth and cording stitched together between layers of fabric, substantially as set forth.

2, In combination with a corset consisting of strips of grass cloth and cording stitched together between layers of fabric, the stays formed of metal, bone, or hard rubber, substantially as set forth, and for the purpose described. I

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN K. ROSS. Witnesses: Tnos. S. CRANE, A. D. CRANE. 

